Hog Prices Fall on Lean Demand

CHICAGO—Hog prices fell to a 4½-month low, pressured by sluggish demand for pork among U.S. consumers and importers such as China and Japan.

Lean hogs for April, the front-month contract, slipped 0.35 cent, or 0.4%, to 77.875 cents a pound at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, as traders speculated Wednesday that slowing pork exports will cause U.S. supplies to swell. The price was the lowest settlement since Nov. 6.